Emotional Relationships

Family relationships may be
used to describe the emotional bond between people involved in a union, but
the emotional relationship component is used to describe the
emotional bond between any two individuals in the genogram (family tree).
GenoPro allows you to choose among a wide selection of emotional
relationship categories. The selection will be displayed on the genogram
with its corresponding color-coded link. With a few clicks, you can easily
assess the level of cohesiveness within a family or a group. GenoPro defines
34 types of emotional relationships:

Emotional Relationships Key

Emotional Relationships Sample

Each type of emotional relationship is described in the table below. The
symbols have been enlarged for better viewing.

Defines a plain normal relationship. This emotional relationship may
serve the purpose of highlighting a normal relationship among numerous
dysfunctional relationships. It may resemble the
identical twins
link, but the line for twins is gray. Twins are also connected to each
other through a child link that looks like an inverted V. If a plain
normal relationship needs to be displayed, then create a non-linear line
between the twins.

Defines an apathetic relationship where one or both individuals are
indifferent to the other.

Defines a distant relationship between two individuals. Communication is
very limited, usually due to differences in lifestyles.

Defines a cutoff relationship where two individuals have no contact at
all, characterized by extreme disengagement and emotional intensity
where there had formerly been love, affection, or friendliness.

Defines a relationship in which at least one of the individuals
perceives the relationship to be negative and where both individuals are
convinced they are right.

Defines a relationship of intense enmity or antipathy in which the
individuals wish harm upon each other and take pleasure in each other's
misery.

Defines a good relationship between two individuals in which there is
mutual respect.

Defines a close relationship (friendship) between two individuals in
which they share affection or esteem and engage in mutually helping
behaviors.

Defines a relationship of deep friendship, where two individuals share a
deeper level of understanding, trust and affection than with most other
friends.

Defines a relationship of strong positive affection between two
individuals, arising from kinship or recognition of attractive
qualities.

Defines a relationship of intimacy, passion and commitment based on
sexual instinct.

Defines a relationship of distrust between two individuals where at
least one of the individuals lacks confidence in the other's intentions.

Defines a fused relationship between two individuals. Individuals become
dependant on one another, and also become inseperable, with little
room for their own identities.

Defines a hostile relationship between two individuals where the
individuals argue on major issues and feel heightened stress and
aggression when they are together.

Defines a distant-hostile relationship between two individuals. The two
individuals rarely come into contact, but when they are in each other's
presence, they argue and are hostile towards one another.

Defines a close-hostile relationship between two individuals. These
people often come into contact, but they argue and keep secrets from one
another.

Defines a fused-hostile relationship between two individuals. These
individuals are always together and depend on each other, yet they are
unable to live without arguing.

Defines a violent relationship between two individuals. The two
individuals often come into conflict when they meet which results in
extreme actions such as physical force or excessive power.

Defines a relationship in which the two individuals rarely see each
other, but when they come together, they argue and engage in violent
behavior.

Defines a relationship in which two individuals often come into contact,
but they argue and are engaged in violent behavior when they are
together.

Defines a violent behavior in an fused relationship. Violence takes
place to avoid a break in the relationship, especially when
intimacy/fusion is difficult or impossible to maintain. Fusion
compromises the feelings, identities and self-direction of each, thus
creating true instability.

Defines an abusive relationship. This is a generic relationship for
situations in which an undertermined type of abuse occurs between two
individuals.

Defines a relationship in which one individual physically abuses
another. It includes any non-accidental injury to an individual,
typically to a child or a woman. This includes hitting, kicking,
slapping, shaking, burning, pinching, hair pulling, biting, choking,
throwing, shoving, whipping, and paddling.

Defines a relationship in which one individual emotionally abuses
another. It includes any attitude or behavior which interferes with
mental health or social development. This includes yelling, screaming,
name-calling, shaming, negative comparisons to others, telling them they
are "bad, no good, worthless" or "a mistake".

Defines a relationship in which one individual sexually abuses another.
It includes any sexual act between an adult and child, or a forced
sexual action between two adults. This includes fondling, penetration,
intercourse, exploitation, pornography, exhibitionism, child
prostitution, group sex, oral sex, or forced observation of sexual acts.

Defines a relationship in which an individual fails to provide for a
dependant's physical needs. This includes lack of supervision,
inappropriate housing or shelter, inadequate provision of food,
inappropriate clothing for season or weather, abandonment, denial of
medical care, and inadequate hygiene.

Defines a relationship in which one individual manipulates another
individual.

Defines a relationship in which one individual controls another
individual.

Defines a relationship in which one individual feels resentment against
someone because of that person's rivalry, success, or advantages.

Defines a relationship in which one individual has an unhealthy focus
(obsession) on another individual. This may include favoritism and
stalking.

Defines a relationship in which one individual is an ardent admirer of
another, and has an intense, occasionally overwhelming liking of that
person.

Defines a relationship in which one individual has intense feelings of
interest towards another individual, with an acute longing for
reciprocation.

Defines a relationship in which two individuals have never met. This
relationship is used to explicitly confirm that two individuals such
as an adopted child and his biological parents have never been in
contact. As the creator of the genogram, you may add more details
regarding the relationship, such as 'never met physically' but 'met
online'.

Defines any emotional relationship that is not defined in the list. Use
a comment to elaborate on the details of this particular relationship.

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